Time To Revive RugbyX
The United State’s women’s rugby team won bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics led by strong play from rugby star Ilona Maher and others on the United States team.
Their strong performance could mean even bigger things at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics where a gold medal for the women’s side might not be a distant dream.
However, just a handful of years ago the American women’s rugby came within a single win of a defacto world title in 2019.
The format was Rugby X. This is a fast-paced indoor version of Rugby. The letter “X” is of course ten in Rugby but this version was played with five players on each side.
The one an only tournament of the sport was held at the O2 Arena in London in fall 2019. The U.S. and the United Kingdom tied in regulation at 30-30 in the “title” game”
The match was decided in a “shootout” of sorts with players taking on each other 1x1 an entertaining format to say the least.
The United States succumbed 3-2 to the Brits in this shootout.
Against Ireland, in the semi-final, the Eagles battled back after an early try by Ireland to win 30-15.
The men’s team at Rugby X failed to win a match but, saw some exciting plays from Perry Baker
Offering the open-field tackles of American Football, the up-and-down court pace of basketball, the bells and whistles of an indoor event, and a 21st century friendly 10 minutes per half, the sport of Rugby X was something to behold.
Ben Ryan, a former Olympic gold medalist Fiji's coach, developed Rugby X with cooperation of both World Rugby and RFU. It had a number of rule changes the best was the substitution of quick throws to line-outs a very fan friendly improvement in the game and one other codes should reflect on.
Then came the pandemic and the sport disappeared from the radar. However, a viable fast paced format like Rugby X would be great.
